This invention relates to manually operated handles for recloser switches and lock outs on pole mounted circuit reclosers used by electric utilities. More particularly, this invention relates to a remotely operated actuating device for affixing to a shaft used to open and close a recloser switch using a hookstick.
Commercial and residential electrical power is distributed through electric cables which run along a series of power poles. Many of the poles are strategically mounted with automatic circuit reclosers, which are recognized by electric utilities as essential for achieving an important goal of providing continuity of electric service simply and economically. Some 80 to 95 percent of all system faults on overhead power distribution systems are temporary in nature and last from only a few cycles to a few seconds. These temporary faults are generally caused by wind, lightning, animals, tree branches, and switching surges.
Reclosers sense and interrupt fault currents and automatically restore service after momentary outages by restoring current after the temporary fault condition is gone. If a fault is permanent, the recloser locks open after a preset number of operations and isolates the faulted section of the system from the main system.
Reclosers are mounted near the tops of utility poles and are provided with manually operated reclosing levers, also known as manual operating handles. The reclosing levers are used for manually opening and closing the recloser or setting the recloser to lockout after one operation. These manually operated levers are currently operated by a hand-held hookstick that is 30 to 40 feet in length. The hookstick is operated by utility worker either on a pole, in a bucket truck, or on the ground. The utility worker inserts the hookstick into a ring that extends from the end of the lever and is used to actuate the lever by pressing against the ring with the hookstick.
The prior art hookstick-operated levers are difficult and cumbersome to operate. Inserting the hookstick into the ring requires skill and patience. The difficulty of inserting the hookstick into the ring is further complicated by the conditions in which system faults generally occur. High winds and lightning are leading causes of system faults. Therefore, a need to operate a recloser lever often arises during poor weather and at nighttime. Placing the hookstick into a small ring at the top of a utility pole is even more arduous a task in wet, windy, and dark conditions which may cause numerous failed attempts and become time consuming. Time is of the essence in restoration of electrical power. Moreover, safety of utility personnel is a significant concern. Failed attempts to insert a hookstick into a ring increase the personnel""s exposure to weather conditions or electrical hazards. The prior art fails to address these problems associated with the hookstick operated recloser lever.
Accordingly, the present invention solves the deficiencies found in prior art recloser levers operated by a hookstick and a ring-actuated lever. In particular, it is an object of the present invention to provide an effective means to make the operation of recloser levers with a hookstick easier and faster. The present invention accomplishes this goal by eliminating the need to exercise skill and patience in placing a hookstick into a ring actuator.
The present invention as disclosed herein is an improved actuator device for providing operational control of a recloser lever by a hookstick. The actuator device consists of an elongate cantilever member that is adapted to attach to the existing ring of the recloser lever, or to replace the existing recloser lever. Once the actuator device of the present invention is installed, the recloser lever may be actuated without finding and placing the hookstick into the ring. Instead, the improved actuator device will allow a user to engage the hookstick by receiving the hookstick in a receptacle of the cantilever and then moving the hookstick in the desired direction to open or close the recloser or adjust the lockout setting. Thus, the recloser lever may be actuated in a single attempt with less precision than needed for inserting the hookstick into a prior art ring. In a preferred embodiment, the receptacle defines at least one hook-shaped extension in a distal end position of the cantilever.
In another aspect, the present invention provides a method of actuating a manually operated recloser and lock-out switch mounted on poles of an overhead electrical power distribution system, comprising the steps of (a) attaching an elongate cantilever arm to a ring extending from a recloser and lock-out switch; (b) engaging a receptacle on the cantilever arm with a distal end portion of an elongated member; and (c) moving the cantilever arm from a first position to a second position in response to moving the elongated member, whereby the cantilever arm moves the recloser and lock-out switch between an open position and a closed position.